


letters through time

by ToyBoxOfSuz



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Bittersweet, Cute, Falling In Love, Fluff, Love Confessions, Love Letters, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-02-09 08:51:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18634843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToyBoxOfSuz/pseuds/ToyBoxOfSuz
Summary: “Here, it’s yours,” he said. Gladio hesitated to take it.“Are you sure, I mean, it was in your stuff…”“But it’s addressed to you, isn’t it?” Ignis smiled, all too knowingly.--Ignis wrote a love letter to Gladio, but had no courage to give it to him.





	letters through time

The room smelled dusty and airless. Just like any other room that would have kept closed for the last few years. Ignis took a deep breath, wondering that it all just couldn’t smell any more foreign to him, despite that probably all the Scientia heritage was stored in it. Everything that was left of his family was in that room. And once they were done with cleaning, there will most probably be less...

“Hey, you okay?” Ignis heard Gladio from behind him. Ignis smiled turning his head toward the voice of the other, nodding.

“Let’s get started, shall we?” he spoke quietly. “I don’t want to spend too much time cleaning this up,” he added as he entered the room. He’s been here before, many times, he knew where the pile of books, the boxes, the trinkets were. He memorized it, so when one day they will clean it, he can help Gladio with it.

It’s been a few years since the light has returned to their land, since the New Council has started to rebuild the Kingdom of Lucis. The Crystal was silent and the ring died with King Noctis. The moment the first rays of the sun appeared on the horizon, their land has faced a new, blank slate. A new era built on the ruins of the old one, by the same relics that were left in it.

Ignis walked to the pile of books, reaching out to feel the cover of a few of them. He couldn’t see them, or read them, he will need Gladio’s help to check them. So he moved further within, heading for the part of the room he remembered the family relics. As he was slowly walking on the path he memorized, he heard Gladio also move in, checking the piles and muttering a few things to himself.

“Iggy, wait…!” The man called suddenly and the same time Ignis stopped in his tracks too. He turned his head, to seem like he was looking over his shoulder even if he didn’t see anything. But just to signal Gladio that he heard him and he wished an explanation. “There’s a box there, by your feet.”

Gladio has learned not to patronize him, not to offer help when it wasn’t needed. Ignis has learned to ask for help and Gladio learned when to give it. The system was working most of the time, easing the frustration of both parties.

That was the reason the man, while really wanted to, didn’t hurry by Ignis’ side.

“Thank you,” Ignis nodded gratefully and moved his feet to feel out the box in his way. He didn’t remember it. It must have been put there not long ago. So he slowly crouched down to check the contents of it. By this time Gladio has also stepped next to him, and Ignis could hear his sad smile. It made him curious just what the man must have seen in that box. “What’s in it?” Ignis asked as he reached inside too.

“Memories,” Gladio answered quietly, his voice deeper, more throaty than it usually was. Ignis swallowed, feeling around the objects in the box. Clothes, an old shirt of his, from the time they were traveling all around Lucis, Ignis could also feel his old glasses. The necklace he thought went missing, gloves, his belt, along with a few other personal things.

“Oh,” he smiled, letting out a soft laugh, but only to not make it worse. Now he realized why Gladio sounded like that. These were just silly, old, dusty things, memories of a time that was long gone, but a time that shaped them to who they are now. “I suppose, we should leave this at last…” he spoke then, clearing his throat. With aging, there came sentimentality probably, because Ignis didn’t feel like he could throw anything out of that box for now.

“Huh, these are all your stuff right?” Gladio asked suddenly.

“They should be. Why?” Ignis asked, frowning.

“There’s an envelope here… it has my name,” the other man said and Ignis felt his huge body moving. He took Ignis’ hand and guided it to the letter instead of handing it to him. Ignis held his breath all through it, and took a soft gasp as he felt the envelope. It was slightly crumpled, and if the letter Ignis suspected it was, then the envelope had the lightest purple color.

“Is it open?” Ignis asked, even if he already felt if it was. It wasn’t. The letter was unopened. “Does it have anything else on it?” he asked a bit urgently.

“It’s just my name, with your handwriting. And a flower sticker,” came the answer. “Iggy, what’s this?”

Ignis felt his shoulders drop at the question. It’s been a lifetime ago. The person who wrote that letter felt like someone else, yet what it contained was still true. Every word of it…

\--

He was coming from a family of long time royal retainers and so his daily tasks and study schedules were different from the other kids around him. It was partly because royals had different duties and responsibilities and thus a retainer had to work around these, they had to adapt to the person they would serve. And meanwhile Prince Noctis was in school Ignis has also taken some classes the Royal Academy.

It was the school where most royal families also sent their kids to study. So Ignis could also find some connections to people who would work together with him in the Citadel. Or, people who he would work for if he wasn’t assigned to Prince Noctis already by none other than King Regis himself. Ignis was aware that only that small fact made a few people in school even tolerate his presence at all. As for the rest, he was working hard not to present any other options than his low status for bullying.

He also applied to start his Crownsguard training and he’s gotten approved for it too. It wasn’t necessary for him, training as a Crownsguard, but as time went by, he found that with a training like that he may be able to help Prince Noctis a lot more effectively in the future.

Although, there was another reason he chose to train himself like that. Prince Noctis wasn’t just assigned a retainer, but a soon to be personal guard too. Ignis was told that King Regis had a man, who was his Shield: Sir Clarus Amicitia. As the Scientia family was the royal retainer line, the Amicitia family were the ones who would protect the king; they were the Shield of the King. Such a noble title, Ignis always wondered, sounding much better than royal retainer. Later he discovered that it suited the members of that family pretty well; even if he wasn’t too sure of that when he was introduced to Prince Noctis’ going to be Shield: Gladiolus.

Gladiolus Amicitia; huge and loud and someone Ignis wasn’t too keen on working with. They knew each other since when Ignis was introduced as Prince Noctis’ retainer. But they didn’t really talk much. Ignis wasn’t too interested, mostly because he himself was pretty busy with his own studies and tasks and when he had a bit of free time he liked to unwind alone.

But taken they were set to serve the same person, they still ended up crossing paths more than not at one point. And when Ignis picked up training, Gladio offered help. Ignis couldn’t exactly tell when he started feeling the way he did toward Gladio; if it was the first time he borrowed a book, or when he saw him with Iris, his younger sister the first time, or when he watched him train… Ignis didn’t know. All he knew that one day, he was looking at Gladiolus and he knew that he was feeling for him for a long time. Maybe since the first time they looked at each other.

It wasn’t anything scary, or nerve-wrecking as Ignis sometimes heard from his classmates, or even from older folks too. It was something that existed with him for a long time, something that was a part of him and Ignis had a feeling it will remain a part of him for long, too.

Having the feeling in his chest, in his stomach, in his mind wasn’t scary. Letting the other know however, now that was a different thing.

After some excessive research, Ignis decided to go with a letter instead of a spoken confession. He timed it right before he would start his Crownsguard training. It was something like either starting or ending something. He wasn’t sure which one, exactly. But nothing happened from idleness.

One day, Ignis decided to wait for Gladio after classes at school to be on neutral grounds. He had the letter he took weeks to write. It was put in a lavender colored envelope, with ‘Gladiolus Amicitia’ written on it. And Ignis feeling a bit adventurous by placing a small flower sticker next to his name. Which he immediately regretted, but the envelope was sealed already. So Ignis had to deal with that little thing that may cause Gladio to freak out.

Ignis watched from the gates as the students slowly leave the building for the day. He was searching for that tall, built guy who he could never miss, not even in a crowd. Yet he couldn’t see him. It made him nervous, but he was familiar with Gladio’s schedule and he was more than sure that the boy will show up eventually. To ease his nerves, Ignis looked down at the envelope he was holding. He was nervous. And it made him question his own sanity too. What a silly thing…

“Hey, Ignis, I texted not to wait up!” The voice came suddenly and Ignis looked up. He realized he didn’t check his phone all day. He was too nervous for that.

“Ah, I…” Ignis started, his eyes finding Gladio heading toward him. Though, he wasn’t alone. He had one of his classmates hanging on his arm. A petite, sharp looking girl whom Ignis recognized as the heir of a popular food chain company. Though that wasn’t rare in their school, everyone was a heir, everyone had status, everyone was  _ someone _ . “I’m sorry, it must have slipped my mind.”

Nothing ever slipped Ignis’ mind and it was a weak excuse, he knew it the moment Gladio raised that too smart eyebrow of his as he arrived by him. Despite his size and preference for physical training he was getting smarter and smarter. Ignis couldn’t help to notice that, of course. He noticed everything that came to Gladio and he was aware that the guy was also doing the same. They were already working together in a sense and thus, catching subtle signs of the other was something that came more naturally the more time they spent together. Thus, Gladio knew something was up and this one time, Ignis wished he would be oblivious.

“Is everything okay?” Gladio asked, frowning.

“I’ll tell you later,” Ignis chose to say, refusing the urge to look at the letter he was holding.

“Fine, see you tomorrow, then?” the man sighed, apparently giving this fight up for something more exciting. He looked over his current partner, smiling in that goofy, silly way of his. She smiled back and off they went.

It was like all happening in a different life. In a different time. Ignis felt like he was watching a movie, or reading a book. But before he could come to his senses, Gladio was already off with his date and Ignis was still waiting for something with that silly letter of his.

Ignis finally moved his arm to raise his hand, looking at the letter again. Glaring at the flower sticker on it as if it was responsible for what just happened. For some strange reason, it wasn’t anger he felt, more like… impatience. Definitely not sadness. He took a few deep breaths and put the letter back in his bag.

He never gave it to Gladio, he had no chance anymore. And after a while, he stopped trying to find one.

\--

The visit of the Chancellor, bringing good news and bad news had impacted the Citadel like wildfire.

One of the more pleasant, yet strange requests of the Empire was that Noctis was to be wed to Lady Lunafreya. The moment the treaty signing date was pinned down, Prince Noctis and his entourage was set up to leave Crown City to Altissia to meet her.

The day before they left the city Ignis was packing up some of his stuff on bring to the journey he found an envelope in his desk drawer. He wasn’t surprised to find it there. It was an item that he always kept in check. And it was still undelivered, after all these years.

Ignis sat down in his chair, looking at the childish thing and that grudged sticker. He sometimes did that; taking the letter and remembering why he wrote it in the first place. He remembered Gladio; how he was so aware of Ignis’ every move except this one feeling he had. Ignis wasn’t entirely sure if it was because Gladio’s interest laid elsewhere, or that he himself was hiding it just too well. Could be the combination of the two, because Ignis remembered also being more careful with Gladio. Ever since the day he couldn’t hand the letter to him. Since then, he watched him go through partners after partners, never really taking anyone steady. Just like Ignis after one point. Though he had less partners, being also more private with that matter.

Partners came and go, however, that letter always stayed near Ignis, always reminded him where his heart lied. His loyalty was all with Noctis, but his heart was with a certain Amicitia. Neither of those things changed as he was growing up. Ignis just accepted both as a part of him, something that he will carry with himself.

So he pocketed the letter and brought it with him to the journey, which was only supposed to be a few days. Yet, Ignis still thought he couldn’t leave that letter in Insomnia.

But then Insomnia fell. Noctis had become King and they had set out to do much more than escorting Noctis to Altissia. It has been a journey for something more; for something Ignis had heard before. The prophecy was slowly coming true. The prophecy which told of Noctis being the Chosen one to bring back the light to endless Darkness.

Noctis had to be told that his father has been fallen along with the city. Gladio also lost a father in that battle. Ignis saw him change; in various ways. It may not have been that apparent, but something stirred in Gladio. Something in the way his eyes looked ahead, in the way his jaw was set, his shoulders tensed...

And one day, Gladio had approached him just when they reached the lighthouse.

Noctis and Prompto were going ahead, carrying their bags up the hill to get comfortable in the house and start dinner with Talcott and Monica. Ignis and Gladio were about to bring the rest of the stuff from the car. But before Ignis could grab anything from the trunk, he felt Gladio’s hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, can I talk to you a sec?” he asked.

For some reason, Ignis felt nervous. Unnecessarily so. But he swallowed that feeling down and turned toward the other.

“Are you alright?” he asked, quietly, resisting the urge to reach for Gladio’s hand as he withdrew it from his shoulder.

“Yeah, just the usual,” Gladio cleared his throat. The way he averted his gaze and worried his lower lip with his teeth… he was also nervous. But Ignis refused to ask again. He knew when Gladio wanted to say something, he did. “Listen, I need to go.”

“Go where?” Ignis asked quietly.

“The other day, when the commander handed my ass to me, that was shit, man, it made me realize something,” Gladio sighed. He then cocked his chin up to look at Ignis. “I need to go somewhere to sort things out. It may take a few days. But I’ll return, Iggy.”

“You better, Noctis needs you now more than ever,” Ignis agreed, though he couldn’t help feeling the tension in his stomach. It wasn’t just Noctis who needed Gladio, after all. Despite all that, he trusted Gladio with all his being. If he chose this time to leave, then it was important to him and Ignis will keep him covered until then.

“When I come back, I’ll be stronger,” Gladio continued, his shoulders visibly tensing. His amber eyes raised at Ignis’ green ones. The man couldn’t help shivering at the heat of that gaze. Gladio was always so passionate in everything he did, and whatever he was about to do now, his whole soul was burning with it. Ignis almost felt like being caught in the flames too. “When I return as the Shield of the King I’ll also ask his advisor a question.”

Ignis frowned, turning his whole body toward Gladio this time.

“I wanted to ask you for a long time, Iggy, but… man, I was a coward,” the man said clicking his tongue. “Shit, so, when I come back I’ll be worthy enough to ask you for a kiss.”

“Gladio,” Ignis couldn’t help to gasp softly. He felt his heart shudder in a way it haven’t in a long time.

“Please don’t- don’t answer now, only when I come back,” Gladio started, holding up a hand. “I need this to get through this shit, alright? Just, let me keep this for a while.”

Ignis didn’t answer to him. Even if he was allowed, he couldn’t. He didn’t know what to say...

Gladio walked went to tell Noctis he was leaving, too. And the next few days were surreal. Ignis needed all his wits with him; they met the chancellor again and they were sent to retrieve a rare material for the royal vessel. All without Gladio and Ignis realized how much he was also relying on the man in combat, and in other things too. Watching Prompto and Noctis have their hard time with setting the fire also proved that their reliance on Gladio was bigger than they realized before.

When Gladio returned, they were in Lestallum and he indeed came back with something set deep in him. His eyes were more determined, had some kind of flame in them Ignis hadn’t seen before. He had become stronger, as he promised. He also asked Ignis for a kiss. And Ignis said yes. Later, he wondered that Gladio’s love letter to him was the scars he’d gotten all over his body from the battle he had to fight.

The strangest thing was, it didn’t feel like much has changed after that. They were still the same in battle, same during the journey. Their first priority was still Noctis and the mission. The only difference was that now they were stealing kisses and touches, looked at each other in a way that sometimes made Ignis’ knees weak… and the first time they could book a room for just the two of them was one of Ignis’ best nights of his life.

Ignis didn’t need the letter anymore, because Gladio was less of a coward than him. Yet, he still kept it with him, buried under his kitchenware, wanting to give it to Gladio once, when times calmed down.

However, those times never came. Ignis has only flashes of the fight in Altissia, but one thing was sure: it changed their lives. Whenever Ignis was thinking about that time, it was a blur of sounds and pain and tears. He remembered Noct’s sadness, so thick he could almost taste it on his tongue. He could remember Gladio’s anger, so sharp it could almost cut his guts open, and it almost did.

But they couldn’t stop. They had no luxury to stop. They lost everything on the way to get to the Crystal, just to see an Empire falling and Noctis disappearing… It was like the beginning of a ten year long nightmare.

There was no time for letters, there was no time for anything other than try to help the people to survive in cities like Lestallum. To try and contain all the light they could. To try and survive the endless night that the wrath of the gods brought upon them. There was no time for confessions. Ignis also forgot about the letter, or thought it had disappeared. And that was alright, because they had no luxury for such sentiments, it was an item of the past.

\--

Ignis thought the letter was lost, truly lost. Yet, he was holding it in his own hands right then, just the moment when Gladio and him were ready to clean up old memories.

“Who bought this box here?” Ignis asked, turning his head toward Gladio.

“Hell, I’m not sure,” the other man admitted. Ignis could already see his brows furrowing in confusion. Well, it didn’t matter anymore, though Ignis had to admit that the whole box was like it was taken from the past, and placed right by his feet to see it.

Ignis sighed then, raising the envelope to press it against his lips for a moment. Then he slowly held it out for Gladio.

“Here, it’s yours,” he said. Gladio hesitated to take it.

“Are you sure, I mean, it was in your stuff…”

“But it’s addressed to you, isn’t it?” Ignis smiled, all too knowingly. He listened as Gladio tried to open the envelope, sighing frustrated as the paper probably gave away too much. It was old paper, after all. Ignis suddenly felt a kind of tension he didn’t for a long time, ever since he was a high school kid. How silly, he wondered idly, to have that particular emotion rise up his chest at this exact moment.

“Shit… Iggy,” Gladio whispered. “I’m- I’m gonna read this out loud, alright?”

“If you wish,” Ignis whispered, though he knew every word of that letter by heart. But as Gladio started reading it, the words somehow felt heavier.

 

_ “Gladiolus, _

 

_ Before this, I considered myself good with words, but when it comes to what I feel for you all my vocabulary fail me. That is the reason I’m writing this letter to you; in hope that I can express what I feel as clear as I can. _

_ I will always serve Prince Noctis, my loyalty will always lie with the house of Lucis, but my heart will only belong to this one Amicitia: you. _

_ Gladiolus, I love you. _

_ I will carry you with me everywhere I go. I will fight with you always in my heart. I will continue on, holding onto this feeling, because it’s a part of me now. I feel it grow every day, I feel it getting heavier, just like the duties I have to carry, but it’s a weight I happily hold onto. _

_ I don’t know what our future holds, what’s going to happen to us, or to the kingdom, but I never want to stop loving you. _

_ I will love you until the day I die, Gladiolus. _

 

_ ~ Ignis Scientia” _

 

Ignis felt his whole body heavier than it already was. He knew this letter by heart, he recited it in his head when things got bad, sometimes just to calm himself down. But now, listening the words read by Gladio it was a whole different thing. His hand came up to cover his mouth, as if he just said something bad or embarrassing, his heart rushing in his chest.

“Iggy…” Gladio whispered, his voice deep and throaty, probably battling the same feeling as Ignis. Ignis tried to swallow, wanting to say something about his seventeen year old self was such a sap, or something like that, but all those words were  _ still true _ . “You didn’t hold back did you,” Gladio added.

Ignis just smiled, shrugging a little helpless. They lived a life with this man; they survived the end of the world, they saved the world, and now they are working on rebuilding it. And everything in that letter still held and Ignis wasn’t sure how to handle that.

“I love you, too,” Gladio said then and pulled Ignis’ hand from his mouth to place a kiss against his lips. Ignis let out a laugh into their kiss, pressing closer with his chest tighter than ever. For every kiss Gladio gave him, he told him he loved him, that he will always love him… and that he’d always loved him.

**Author's Note:**

> Some parts of this fic may were heavily inspired by the song 'The Graveyard Near The House' by The Airborne Toxic Event


End file.
